The MC-21 aircraft successfully landed at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant airfield following a test flight, as announced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade via its Telegram channel.
This import-substituted MC-21 prototype was flown to test its newly integrated systems and PD-14 engines. The aircraft remained airborne for approximately one hour, reaching an altitude of up to 3500 meters during the flight.
Earlier in October, during a session of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy, Dmitry Yadrov, head of Rosaviatsiya (Russia`s Federal Air Transport Agency), issued a significant warning: under a pessimistic scenario, Russian civil aviation could face the loss of 339 aircraft by 2030. This figure represents roughly one-third of the nation`s total civil aviation fleet. The potential losses include 109 foreign-made aircraft that are deemed beyond repair, alongside 230 Russian-made planes whose operations are critically dependent on Western-manufactured components.
Rupert Blackwood 
Barnaby Whitfield